Backup, what system files are *really* important?

[Rick Sewill]

> > 
> > /opt (and /usr/local) are likely to contain stuff that wasn't installed
> > via rpm or yum, thus needs to be preserved. That's all. YMMV.
> > 
> ----
> what about /var ?
> 
> /var/www/html
> /var/www/named
> /var/lib/dhcpd
> /var/lib/imap
> /var/cache/samba
> 

Did they move /var/named to /var/www/named?
At one time I needed to do my own DNS and have a /var/named 
laying around.  I guess it depends what's in the /etc/named.conf file.

Probably all of /var/lib should be examined -- I don't know where
asterisk, mysql, or other packages keep their data.

And /var/spool/cron -- if you have any user cron jobs.

All of /var/spool should be examined for directories to back up.

And ... /sbin/ifup-local and /sbin/ifdown-local if you have those files.
Those files, if present, are referenced from files in the 
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts directory.  I'm sure there's a good
reason those files are in /sbin; I wish they were in /usr/local/sbin.

And consider /root -- it's up to you whether you want to back this up

And /boot/grub/grub.conf -- /etc/grub.conf is a symbolic link.
I dual boot so my grub.conf has other boot directives in it.

Hopefully, /etc/grub.conf is the only symbolic link to worry about.
I did "find /etc -type l" and grub.conf was the only symbolic link
pointing to something I needed to worry about.

I'd check for symbolic links in the directories you back up.

Do hard links cause backup problems?
Are there any hard links one has to worry about when doing backups?
At this moment, I can't think of any.

I haven't had to create any block or character special files in the
/dev directory in a while.  I suggest you keep a text file detailing 
any special /dev files you might have created.  I am thinking of the 
case where you are doing something with a device driver for something
that is not supported in FC12.  Hopefully, this won't apply.  
I'd keep a text file detailing anything like this in my /root.

Finally, I'd examine the sub-directories in /usr/src.
Before FC12, my webcam wasn't supported.  I kept source code
in /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES for building a driver for my webcam.
You may have something in /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES or 
/usr/src/redhat/RPMS that you need to add to FC12.  If possible,
keep information in a text file describing where you got the
code rather than try to back up /usr/src/redhat...but as a last
resort, be prepared to back up stuff, if necessary.

I'd actually keep a text file detailing any changes 
I make that are not part of standard Fedora.
It's easier to go to a text file where I keep a list of things from 
livnia or source files I need to get something working that isn't
supported, then to discover something is missing and have to remember 
where I got it and how I had to install it.

I'd also generate a text file, on a regular basis,
yum list all > /root/yum-list-$(date '+%Y%m%d').lst
so I have a list of Fedora packages that were in my system.